Prevention of synthetic color fading in beverages using botanically derived color stabilizers

1. A food coloring composition comprising

(a) a synthetic color selected from the group consisting of Citrus Red No. 2, D&C Red No. 28, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, ferrous gluconate, orange B, ultramarine blue, ultramarine green, ultramarine violet, ultramarine red and combinations thereof; and

(b) a botanically derived color stabilizer selected from the group consisting of chalcones, flavones, and combinations thereof,

wherein the chalcone is selected from the group consisting of chalcone, polyhydroxychalcones, butein, phloridzin, echinatin, marein, isoliquiritigenin, phloretin and combinations thereof;

and wherein the flavone is selected from the group consisting of rhoifolin, diosmin, apiin, apigenin, myricetin, kaempferol, luteolin, morin, neodiosmin, quercetin, rutin, balcalein, cupressuflavone, datiscetin, diosmetin, fisetin, galangin, gossypetin, geraldol, hinokiflavone, scutellarein, flavonol, primuletin, pratol, robinetin, quercetagetin, (OH) 4 flavone, tangeritin, sinensetin, fortunelin, kampferide, chryoeriol, isorhamnetin, vitexin and combinations thereof.

2. The food coloring composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a cinnamoyl ester selected from the group consisting of cinnamyl formate, cinnamyl acetate, ethyl cinnamate, cinnamyl propionate, cinnamyl alpha-toluate, cinnamyl 2-amino benzoate, cinnamyl anthranilate, cinnamyl benzoate, cinnamyl beta-phenyl acrylate, cinnamyl butyrate, cinnamyl cinnamate, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl isovalerate, cinnamyl methyl ketone, cinnamyl ortho-amino benzoate, cinnamyl phenyl acetate, cinnamyl 3-phenyl propenoate and combinations thereof.

3. The food coloring composition according to claim 1 , further comprising coumarin selected from the group consisting of coumarin, coumestrol, dalbergin, daphnetin, esculetin, citropten, noralbergin, umbelliferone, scopoletin, xanthotoxol, psoralen, bergapten, fraxetin and combinations thereof.

4. The food coloring composition according to claim 1 , further comprising isoflavone selected from the group consisting of daidzin, daidzein, biochamin A, prunetin, genistin, glycitein, glycitin, genistein, 6,7,4′-tri(OH)isoflavone, 7,3′,4′-tri(OH)isoflavone and combinations thereof.

5. The food coloring composition according to claim 1 , wherein the botanically derived color stabilizer is supplied by an extract of a botanical.

6. The food coloring composition according to claim 1 further comprising a non-aryl enoic carbonyl compound selected from the group consisting of sorbic acid, aconitic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid and combinations thereof.

7. A method of preventing color fading in a synthetically colored beverage comprising the step of including in said beverage

(a) a synthetic color selected from the group consisting of Citrus Red No. 2, D&C Red No. 28, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, ferrous gluconate, orange B, ultramarine blue, ultramarine green, ultramarine violet, ultramarine red and combinations thereof; and

(b) a color stabilizing amount of a botanically derived color stabilizer consisting of chalcones, flavones, and combinations thereof;

wherein the chalcone is selected from the group consisting of chalcone, polyhydroxychalcones, butein, phloridzin, echinatin, marein, isoliquiritigenin, phloretin and combinations thereof;

and wherein the flavone is selected from the group consisting of rhoifolin, diosmin, apiin, apigenin, myricetin, kaempferol, luteolin, morin, neodiosmin, quercetin, rutin, balcalein, cupressuflavone, datiscetin, diosmetin, fisetin, galangin, gossypetin, geraldol, hinokiflavone, scutellarein, flavonol, primuletin, pratol, robinetin, quercetagetin, (OH) 4 flavone, tangeritin, sinensetin, fortunelin, kampferide, chryoeriol, isorhamnetin, vitexin and combinations thereof.

8. A stable colored beverage comprising,

(a) a synthetic color selected from the group consisting of Citrus Red No. 2, D&C Red No. 28, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, ferrous gluconate, orange B, ultramarine blue, ultramarine green, ultramarine violet, ultramarine red and combinations thereof; and

(b) a color stabilizing amount of a botanically derived color stabilizer selected from the group consisting of chalcones, flavones, and combinations thereof;

wherein the chalcone is selected from the group consisting of chalcone, polyhydroxychalcones, butein, phloridzin, echinatin, marein, isoliquiritigenin, phloretin and combinations thereof;

and wherein the flavone is selected from the group consisting of rhoifolin, diosmin, apiin, apigenin, myricetin, kaempferol, luteolin, morin, neodiosmin, quercetin, rutin, balcalein, cupressuflavone, datiscetin, diosmetin, fisetin, galangin, gossypetin, geraldol, hinokiflavone, scutellarein, flavonol, primuletin, pratol, robinetin, quercetagetin, (OH) 4 flavone, tangeritin, sinensetin, fortunelin, kampferide, chryoeriol, isorhamnetin, vitexin and combinations thereof.

9. The stable colored beverage according to claim 8 , wherein the synthetic color is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 ppm to about 50 ppm.

10. The stable colored beverage according to claim 9 , wherein the synthetic color is present in an amount ranging from about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm.

11. The stable colored beverage according to claim 8 , wherein the botanically derived color stabilizer is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 500 ppm.

12. The stable colored beverage according to claim 11 , wherein the botanically derived color stabilizer is present in an amount ranging from about 50 ppm to about 300 ppm.

13. The stable colored beverage according to claim 12 , wherein the botanically derived color stabilizer is present in an amount ranging from about 100 ppm to about 200 ppm.